Hundreds gathered to remember Officer Paul Tracey at his wake on Thursday in the city where he grew up and served, Waltham, Massachusetts.
Officers lined up in formation under a massive American flag outside the Waltham church where Tracey was baptized and married to greet his body. There were hugs and acts of service, like a man leaving a folded U.S. flag on a Waltham police cruiser parked outside.
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"He was always there to help," one cousin said. "Always there to support somebody, and just a great kid."
Tracey and National Grid worker Roderick Jackson were killed last week when a man crashed into a utility work site, then drove off. The communities of Waltham and Cambridge will be spending the next few days honoring the lives of Tracey and Jackson.
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For those in law enforcement who gathered outside the church on Thursday hosting Tracey's wake, it was deeply personal.
"When someone in this profession passes in the line of duty, it cuts, it is almost like a family member passes," one Watertown police officer said.
For family and friends of Tracey, Thursday's wake was a chance to grieve together and support his loved ones through this incredibly difficult time.
"Paul was a great friend of mine, dearly from — I knew his wife Kristen, and I knew her very well. And when I heard about Paul's passing, it hit me like it hit the Waltham community, very hard," said Zachary Bourque, Tracey's friend.
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The wake came as police continued investigating the crash. On Wednesday, police put out a bulletin asking again for the public's help finding witnesses, as well as photos or videos of the incident that claimed their lives. Peter Simon has been charged in the death of both men, as well as in the wild chase that followed. He's pleaded not guilty.
Tracey's funeral will be held held Friday at 10 a.m. at the same church as the wake, Our Lady Comforter of the Afflicted Parish on Trapelo Road.
Services for Jackson will be Saturday at the Saint Paul AME in Cambridge, with visitation from 9 a.m. to 11a.m., and the funeral following immediately after.
Services for both men are open to the public.
